# Cartilage Piercing



## girlie2010 (Jul 7, 2010)

I really want to get my cartilage pierced and I don't know where to get it done. Should I get it done at claire's/icing or should I find a tatoo or piercing shop to get it done? Once I do get it done can I put any gauge earring in it like the one's from hot topic. TIA.


----------



## pinkcat92 (Jul 7, 2010)

I would not recommend clairs, in fact last time i heard they were banned from that (i dont know why), I got mine done at piercing pagoda it didnt hurt that much at all. I was really really surprised it didnt hurt that much. right now i think it closed up because i put a cheap earring in and it got infected so i took that out and put the white gold earring i originally had and it healed up but i had a bump from the infection so i didnt put the backing on and it fell out so now i have no earring to put in it :/ so if u do get it pierced dont change the earring for 6 months and dont ever try a cheap earring because it will get infected


----------



## Sherbert-Kisses (Jul 7, 2010)

Always always always go to a reputable piercer. It's not even worth risking it at Claire's. Half the staff don't even understand about sterilising equipment before use and are not really trained to a competent level. A piercer, however, knows what they're doing and are much more hygienic. If you'd seen what rejected piercings look like then you'd know how important it is to go to the best.


----------



## lips_like_sugar (Jul 7, 2010)

I have my industrial in my left ear and ive had it for about 5 years now, and had it done at a well known tatt shop! I would definitely go to a tatt shop, claires and icing dont have the best reputation for piercings lol just my opinion =)


----------



## Lucy (Jul 7, 2010)

claire's did my second earlobe holes and they aren't even. like, one is higher up than the other. its really noticable if you look at me straight in and see both ears. and one hole got really nastily infected. oh and they charged me Â£30 for the privilege.


----------



## lips_like_sugar (Jul 7, 2010)

Originally Posted by *Lucy* /img/forum/go_quote.gif claire's did my second earlobe holes and they aren't even. like, one is higher up than the other. its really noticable if you look at me straight in and see both ears. and one hole got really nastily infected. oh and they charged me Â£30 for the privilege. ughh that happened to me too! =( i had to take them out because they were so uneven. I couldnt even believe it when I got home and looked. =( I went back the next day and got a refund!


----------



## Chicken351 (Jul 7, 2010)

I've always gone to a tattoo shop or a place here in Aus. called "Off Ya Tree", which specialise in piercings. I don't know what Claires is, but it sounds untrustworthy. Ask around and find where locally has a good reputation. Privately owned establishments like tattoo shops often hold their work in high regard and don't want to do a dodgy job, especially if they are a local business.

As for putting a gague in, you could do it. But you have to let it heal properly first. That part of your ear can get very very infected very easily, so you need to be careful and sanitary with it. :]


----------



## *DeeryLou* (Aug 2, 2010)

I wouldn't reccomend going to Claire's. Not sure what kinds of piercing shops you have near where you live, but I have always went to Black Hole Body Piercing.

When I was really young I got my ears pierced at Claire's and they did a horrible job..not saying that they all do, but it was just my personal experience.


----------



## Ari1202 (Aug 2, 2010)

Letting you kno DONT go to CLAIRES in a week my ear got sore and turned huge a red and it always hurt I couldn't sleep on it I would go to like the jewerly stores that sell earrings and stuff like at the mall..At CLAIRES they hire young people and train them so basically a 17 year old is piercing your ear so wouldn't go there


----------



## xjackie83 (Aug 2, 2010)

Like everyone else said, go to an actual piercer. You'll get better results, it's done by a professional, and less likely to get infected.


----------



## kayleigh83 (Aug 3, 2010)

My cousin is a manager at Claire's and they are not allowed to do cartilige piercings. In my opinion those guns shouldn't even be used on lobes, but they are DEFINITELY not designed to be used on cartilige. You'd seriously be better off sterilizing a safety pin and doing it yourself. NOT that I am encouraging that but I'd feel safer if it were me...






Your best bet is to go to a REAL reputable body piercer! When your ears are pierced with a gun the problem is that for one thing, those guns are VERY hard to properly clean and are used again and again on different people... and they are basically causing a micro blunt force trauma to your earlobe. Even though they pierce them with slightly sharpened earring studs, they are still not sharp enough for the job IMO. This makes it harder to heal and more traumatic for your body.

A real body piercer will use a one time use, VERY sharp needle to pierce you. The way they are designed is that they actually cut a very tiny slit in the earlobe (or cartilige) rather than punch a hole through, which hurts a lot less and is gentler on the ears. Then they slide the earring right through after the needle and you're done!

So in summary, piercers are the way to go!

EDIT: Thought I should add as a further cautionary tale... when I was younger and first got my earlobes pierced at Claire's, it took THREE tries for it to work. Everytime they would get infected (most likely due to the method of piercing, cheap jewelry they give you, etc.) and one of those times I actually had to go to a doctor to get them removed because I couldn't get it out myself. I later got two more lobe piercings on each side and three different cartilige piercings by a professional piercer using proper stainless steel body jewelry and never had ANY problems with them.


----------



## celia22 (Aug 3, 2010)

I think you should go and meet the expert doing piercing.Wish you a very good luck.


----------



## Marsha! (Aug 5, 2010)

I don't have any cartilage piercings but I have my ears pierced. I had tried for years and years to have my ears pierced and get them to heal and always gave up. Finally i found this site Home of Wear Earrings Again with Maggie's Creations - Non-Allergenic Jewerly, guaranteed!. I got some of Maggie's non-allergenic Niobium earrings, found a professional piercer who would autoclave and put in my own earrings, and I've been getting along great for over a year now. Maggie has some tips on choosing a piercer and healing that you might be interested in. Professional Piercers


----------



## sweetnsexy6953 (Aug 8, 2010)

I actually got mine at walmart when they were still allowed to it. I think I got it when I was 12 so its been quite awhile but for sure go to a tattoo shop that is clean and that you know sterilizes everything.


----------



## Minka (Aug 8, 2010)

Wow, am I the only person here who had a good experience with ear piercings at Claire's?





I wouldn't recommend them though. Just by the age of some of the chicks working at the one near here... I wouldn't want a 16 year old piercing my ear, lol.


----------



## 4getmeNot (Aug 8, 2010)

with cartlige piercings you can either get it done with a gun or a needle, most professional piercers do it with a needle. i believe claires uses a gun. i guess it's whatever feels most comfortable to you, a professionl piercer would probably be your best option. it does hurt, but only for like a second, &amp; it's a lil sore for a few days afterward. i never had any problems with mine getting infected, just make sure you use the cleaning solution they give you &amp; dont change your earring until 6 weeks is up.


----------



## wunnymush13 (Aug 8, 2010)

I had my cartilage piercing done about 4 months ago. I went to Meryl Normans (which is a cosmetics/beauty/piercing/hair/tanning/waxing sort of place). I wouldn't go to Claires. They would use a piercing gun - which is not safe at all when getting cartilage pierced. Using a gun risks shattering the cartilage in your ear. If you are getting it done properly, they will use a needle. Which is quick, and was almost painless for me. The needle is usually (should be) hollow - which helps the healing process because it takes out the skin and cartilage leaving a hole when it is piercing you. You don't need to go to some upscale and expensive tattoo place, but you shouldn't go to a place like Claires or Ardenes. In the end, I have to pay about $65 - 45 for the piercing, 10 for the earring, and 10 for the cleaner. I also bought q-tips later to use with the cleaner. It healed fast, and was only a bit sore the first few days when it would get bumped or while I was sleeping. I live in ON, Canada. Good luck!


----------



## magosienne (Aug 9, 2010)

I wouldn't go to Claire's, i saw once a little girl coming in with her mom, and the lady was so incompetent and clumsy she hurt the little girl who was crying, and her mother was of course pissed. So just by witnessing that and seeing how the lady reacted, i bet she didn't know how to handle piercing. I think she was using a gun, i can't be sure, and frankly the little girl's screams were becoming painful for my ears.

I'd suggest you go to a real jewelry store, or a piercing store, where pros are used to do that kind of procedure.


----------



## starberry28 (Aug 11, 2010)

I got my cartilage pierced at a jewelry place at my mall and they used a gun. I think I got lucky because it didn't hurt or get infected whereas my friend got the same thing and she said it was quite painful. With that said, if I were to get it done again, I'd probably go to a professional place just in case.


----------



## veronb (Dec 11, 2012)

Claire's is cheep and all they have is expensive, crappy, earrings. I got my ears done there and my 3rd &amp; 4th got infected an I changed my earrings after 1 month, it hurt and I'm lucky to still have them. They are way to close to my others and I wouldn't recommend going to get your ears Done there. Go to a tattoo place, at least they don't rip u off and give u bad earrings. So never ever go to Claire's unless it's for presents.


----------



## Sheeeeeelby (Dec 13, 2012)

Agreed with everyone else - Don't go to Claire's!  I've had all 3 of my ear piercings there. The first two were fine, but the last one is uneven.  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Also, don't get both of your ear cartiledge pierced. I did that &amp; not a good idea. It was hard getting comfy to sleep with both of them hurting!


----------



## LoriAnnLV (Dec 14, 2012)

I've had an industrial piercing forever now it seems (at least 12 years). I also had my septum pierced for about eight years. I just took it out earlier this year.  Absolutely go to an actual piercer. Pay attention to your after care routine as well. Healing a cartilage piercing is a lot different than trying to heal a normal piercing. Also keep in mind that some people's bodies just will not heal a cartilage piercing. I know a handful of people that have other significant body mods but were never able to heal a cartilage piercing. 

good luck!


----------

